Hi

i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
pressure to apply to the wrench.
is there a trick to loosening the covers.

tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).

Mark

"Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
news:42d63d96$0$31113$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...

> Hi
>
> i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
> pressure to apply to the wrench.
> is there a trick to loosening the covers.
>
> tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).
>
> Mark
>

The covers have spanner flats, yes? You Should be able to get them off with
a spanner or strap wrench. holding the spout of the tap to prevent it
rotating should also help. How much force? Well, if you feel that it's
getting excessive and nothing has moved, it may be an idea to turn the water
off just in case. In an extreme case, you may have to remove the tap from
the basin and the pipe.

The knob with the screw already out probably just wants rocking/tapping from
side to side. If it's a cross head type, tap it upwards from underneath
alternately left and right.

As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it, but not
enough to do any damage. How much force that means is a matter of feel and
experience. Yours starts here :))

HTH
Steve

"shazzbat"  wrote in message
news:db6069$q42$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...

>
> "Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
> news:42d63d96$0$31113$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
> > Hi
> >
> > i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
> > pressure to apply to the wrench.
> > is there a trick to loosening the covers.
> >
> > tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).
> >
> > Mark
> >
> The covers have spanner flats, yes? You Should be able to get them off
with
> a spanner or strap wrench. holding the spout of the tap to prevent it
> rotating should also help. How much force? Well, if you feel that it's
> getting excessive and nothing has moved, it may be an idea to turn the
water
> off just in case. In an extreme case, you may have to remove the tap from
> the basin and the pipe.
>
> The knob with the screw already out probably just wants rocking/tapping
from
> side to side. If it's a cross head type, tap it upwards from underneath
> alternately left and right.
>
> As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it, but not
> enough to do any damage. How much force that means is a matter of feel and
> experience. Yours starts here :))
>
> HTH
> Steve
>
>


yes covers have spanner flats & i have arranged to borrow a bigger spanner
as mines a little small.
also it the taps are cross head! all except 2 modern taps in the kitchen
which i have yet to get the plastic inlays out of.

water off (i am a coward and don't want drenching).

i look forward to gaining more experience :-)

Mark

"Mark D Smith"  wrote in message 
news:42d68af4$0$31062$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...

>
> "shazzbat"  wrote in message
> news:db6069$q42$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
>>
>> "Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
>> news:42d63d96$0$31113$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
>> > pressure to apply to the wrench.
>> > is there a trick to loosening the covers.
>> >
>> > tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).
>> >
>> > Mark
>> >
>> The covers have spanner flats, yes? You Should be able to get them off
> with
>> a spanner or strap wrench. holding the spout of the tap to prevent it
>> rotating should also help. How much force? Well, if you feel that it's
>> getting excessive and nothing has moved, it may be an idea to turn the
> water
>> off just in case. In an extreme case, you may have to remove the tap from
>> the basin and the pipe.
>>
>> The knob with the screw already out probably just wants rocking/tapping
> from
>> side to side. If it's a cross head type, tap it upwards from underneath
>> alternately left and right.
>>
>> As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it, but not
>> enough to do any damage. How much force that means is a matter of feel 
>> and
>> experience. Yours starts here :))
>>
>> HTH
>> Steve
>>
>>
>
> yes covers have spanner flats & i have arranged to borrow a bigger spanner
> as mines a little small.
> also it the taps are cross head! all except 2 modern taps in the kitchen
> which i have yet to get the plastic inlays out of.
>
> water off (i am a coward and don't want drenching).
>
> i look forward to gaining more experience :-)


I have often found that the words trauma and experience can amount to the 
same thing ;o)
-- 
Keith Willcocks
(If you can't laugh at life, it ain't worth living!)

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:19:40 +0000 (UTC), "Keith Willcocks"
 wrote:


>
>"Mark D Smith"  wrote in message 
>news:42d68af4$0$31062$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
>>
>> "shazzbat"  wrote in message
>> news:db6069$q42$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
>>>
>>> "Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
>>> news:42d63d96$0$31113$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
>>> > Hi
>>> >
>>> > i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
>>> > pressure to apply to the wrench.
>>> > is there a trick to loosening the covers.
>>> >
>>> > tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).
>>> >
>>> > Mark
>>> >
>>> The covers have spanner flats, yes? You Should be able to get them off
>> with
>>> a spanner or strap wrench. holding the spout of the tap to prevent it
>>> rotating should also help. How much force? Well, if you feel that it's
>>> getting excessive and nothing has moved, it may be an idea to turn the
>> water
>>> off just in case. In an extreme case, you may have to remove the tap from
>>> the basin and the pipe.
>>>
>>> The knob with the screw already out probably just wants rocking/tapping
>> from
>>> side to side. If it's a cross head type, tap it upwards from underneath
>>> alternately left and right.
>>>
>>> As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it, but not
>>> enough to do any damage. How much force that means is a matter of feel 
>>> and
>>> experience. Yours starts here :))
>>>
>>> HTH
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>
>>
>> yes covers have spanner flats & i have arranged to borrow a bigger spanner
>> as mines a little small.
>> also it the taps are cross head! all except 2 modern taps in the kitchen
>> which i have yet to get the plastic inlays out of.
>>
>> water off (i am a coward and don't want drenching).
>>
>> i look forward to gaining more experience :-)
>
>I have often found that the words trauma and experience can amount to the 
>same thing ;o)


And once you've got this sewn up, you'll get this urge to do a bit more plumbing
- there's (almost) nothing beats the rush of sawing through your first water
pipe and knowing that you've got to get that joint to work - mind you it's so
much easier now with push-fit.  Having said that, water is really sneaky ...
--
Jim
"a single species has come to dominate ...
reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an
infectious plague envelops its host" 
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs

As an aside, some of the covers that look like a spanner fixing are actually
not. They are a push fit. Over the years, grime builds up inside and they
appear not to want to move. Pouring boiling water over then normally frees
them off.

ken

"shazzbat"  wrote in message
news:db6069$q42$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...

>
> "Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
> news:42d63d96$0$31113$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
> > Hi
> >
> > i need to replace around 3 tap washers but i am not certain how much
> > pressure to apply to the wrench.
> > is there a trick to loosening the covers.
> >
> > tap knobs are also tight (single screw removed ok).
> >
> > Mark
> >
> The covers have spanner flats, yes? You Should be able to get them off
with
> a spanner or strap wrench. holding the spout of the tap to prevent it
> rotating should also help. How much force? Well, if you feel that it's
> getting excessive and nothing has moved, it may be an idea to turn the
water
> off just in case.


What was I talking about there? Of course you've got to turn the water off
anyway to change the washer. Pillock.

Steve

On 2005-07-14 16:23:05 +0100, "shazzbat"  said:


> holding the spout of the tap to prevent it rotating should also help.


A couple of lengths of wood, one each side of the spout and extending 
past the back of the tap - these ends tied together with a bit of wire 
etc. Gives a nice bit of safe leverage to stop the tap rotating.


> As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it,


Apply enough to break it and then back off by 1/2 a turn? ;-)

-- 

Cheers

Derryck

"Derryck Croker" <derryck@cix.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message
news:2005071510284716807%derryck@cixcoukinvalid...

> On 2005-07-14 16:23:05 +0100, "shazzbat" 
said:
>
> > holding the spout of the tap to prevent it rotating should also help.
>
> A couple of lengths of wood, one each side of the spout and extending
> past the back of the tap - these ends tied together with a bit of wire
> etc. Gives a nice bit of safe leverage to stop the tap rotating.
>
> > As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it,
>
> Apply enough to break it and then back off by 1/2 a turn? ;-)
>
> --

Are you ex-REME by any chance? We used to say that the correct torque for a
given bolt was "up to shear and back half a turn".

Steve

On 2005-07-15 14:43:02 +0100, "shazzbat"  said:


>>> As with many things, it's a case of just enough force to undo it,
>> 
>> Apply enough to break it and then back off by 1/2 a turn? ;-)
>> 
>> --
> Are you ex-REME by any chance? We used to say that the correct torque for a
> given bolt was "up to shear and back half a turn".


No, I just remember reading a similar line in an electronics mag a long 
time ago. The questioner was asking how tight to do a 
transformer-holding nut and bolt to stop the laminations buzzing IIRC 
:-)

-- 

Cheers

Derryck